From Trash to Villain Master of Card: With Harem of Evil women-Chapter 79: War Council

War Room

The atmosphere in the room was heavy.

Everyone present knew this meeting would decide the kingdom’s future.

Kaito presided at the head of the table. To his right: Adelheid and Lilith. To his left: Naporia and Valeria.

Beyond them: Drake, Bram, Gorman, the five main captains.

And in a corner, observing silently: Kristina and Theron.

The unfolded map showed the situation without embellishment.

Three armies. Three colors. Converging like closing jaws.

Adelheid stood first, pointing to the positions with a wooden pointer.

"Current situation: seven days until first contact. Avernor from the south with fifteen hundred. Meridia from the west with eight hundred. Kalthor from the north with seven hundred."

She traced lines on the map.

"I’ve reviewed all possible strategic options. None are favorable."

She unfolded three additional maps, each showing a different scenario.

"Option one: divided defense."

She pointed to three positions on the borders.

"We divide our eight hundred troops into three groups. Approximately two hundred sixty-five per front."

"Advantage: we cover all borders. Disadvantage: each group is outnumbered two or three to one. They will be destroyed."

"Probability of success: less than five percent."

She moved to the second map.

"Option two: concentrated defense."

She drew a circle around Aschenfall.

"We withdraw all troops to the capital. Fortify. Force a prolonged siege."

"Advantage: we concentrate force. Disadvantage: we sacrifice all outer territory. The populations are exposed. And eventually, enemy numbers overwhelm us."

"Probability of success: ten percent. Fifteen if the siege takes long enough for allies to arrive."

Third map.

"Option three: selective preemptive attack."

She pointed to Avernor’s position.

"We strike one force before the three can coordinate. Preferably Avernor: they’re larger, but also slower."

"We destroy or cause significant damage. The other two forces reconsider when they see the cost."

"Advantage: initiative. Element of surprise. Disadvantage: technically violates the Council’s verdict. And if we fail, we’re positioned even worse."

"Probability of success: twenty percent. Thirty if we coordinate perfectly."

Adelheid set down the pointer.

"Those are the options. All have low probability because the fundamental math doesn’t change: three thousand against eight hundred."

She sat down.

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Lilith spoke next.

"I’ve been working diplomatic channels constantly."

She spread out correspondence: dozens of letters.

"Stahl will send two hundred soldiers. Confirmed. They’ll arrive in ten days."

"Sorenth, Terravaal, and Sundergard expressed ’concern,’ but no military commitment. Politics prevent them from direct intervention."

"Calvados... Lord Theron has been helpful. They might send a hundred. But it takes time to mobilize them."

She did a mental sum.

"Optimistic total: three hundred reinforcements. In two weeks. Too late for the first wave. Possibly useful for the second."

She paused.

"I also tried bribing mercenary commanders. Sent offers. Two responded interested, but they want obscene amounts: gold we don’t have."

"Diplomacy has reached its limit. It’s not enough."

Naporia slammed the table.

"Then we fight! Option three. Preemptive attack."

She stood, her contained energy vibrating.

"We hit Avernor with everything. Eight hundred troops, plus the four of us. Total surprise. We massacre them before they know what happened."

"Then we turn and face the other two."

Drake shook his head.

"Naporia, even with surprise, Avernor has almost two to one. And they’re prepared: they’ve seen what we can do."

"Then we fight harder!"

Naporia looked around.

"I’d rather die fighting than sit waiting while they surround us."

"At least death in battle has honor."

Valeria spoke with a flat voice.

"I’ve calculated the probabilities extensively."

Everyone turned to her.

"Divided defense: four point three percent chance of victory. Concentrated defense: eleven point seven percent. Preemptive attack: eighteen point two percent."

"All unacceptably low."

She paused.

"But I accept Naporia’s premise. If death is an inevitable alternative, death in active battle is preferable to passive death."

"Eighteen point two percent is low. But it’s not zero."

She looked at Kaito.

"The decision is yours, Commander. But from a purely logical perspective, option three offers the best marginal opportunity."

Kaito had been silent throughout the entire presentation.

Listening. Processing. Evaluating.

Everyone waited for his response.

Finally, he spoke.

"There’s another option. One we haven’t discussed openly."

He paused, knowing this would change everything.

"The fifth summoning."

The silence that followed was absolute.

Adelheid stood abruptly.

"No."

Her voice was firm. Final.

"Kaito, no. The cost is too high."

"Higher than losing the kingdom? Higher than watching all of you die?"

"Yes."

Adelheid looked directly at him.

"Because if you summon the fifth queen and lose more of your humanity, what are we really saving?"

"A king who is no longer himself? A kingdom ruled by someone who no longer feels a real connection to his people?"

Lilith leaned forward, her voice softer but equally intense.

"Kaito, be honest. What did you lose with the fourth summoning?"

Kaito hesitated.

"I’m not... sure exactly."

"Then let me ask it another way: do you feel emotions with the same intensity as before?"

Pause.

"...No. Some things that should affect me more... feel distant."

"Exactly."

Lilith touched the table.

"The fourth summoning took part of your emotional capacity. Subtle, but real."

"What does the fifth take? More empathy? The ability to love? Conscience?"

"At what point do you stop being Kaito Yukimura and become... something else?"

Naporia stood, walking toward Kaito.

"Listen to me carefully."

She placed her hands on his shoulders.

"We don’t need a fifth queen. You have us. Four."

"Adelheid can outmaneuver any general Avernor has. Lilith can manipulate situations that seem impossible. Valeria can hold lines that should collapse. And I..."

She smiled: her battle smile.

"I can kill enough of them to make them reconsider attacking again."

"Together, we are enough. You have to trust that."

Valeria was the last to speak.

She stood, approaching.

"Commander. The decision is yours. I will always respect that."

"But consider this: is victory worth it if you lose an essential part of yourself in the process?"

"I’ve been learning about humanity. About choice. About what makes us people."

"And I’ve learned that sometimes accepting the possibility of loss is more human than sacrificing humanity to guarantee victory."

She paused.

"I would rather fight with a twelve percent chance alongside the real Kaito, than win with a hundred percent chance alongside a diminished version."

Kaito looked around the room.

Four queens, each expressing the same truth in different ways.

Drake, Bram, the captains: all nodding silently.

Even Kristina and Theron watched with expressions that suggested agreement.

Kaito closed his eyes.

Processing.

Weighing.

Deciding.

Finally, he opened his eyes.

"You’re right. All of you."

He stood.

"The fifth summoning is... a nuclear option. The last resort."

"Not yet. First, we fight with what we have."

He looked at Adelheid.

"Option three. Preemptive attack against Avernor. We prepare for five days. Strike with everything on the sixth."

Then to Naporia.

"You lead the vanguard. I want you to become such a terrifying legend that Avernor tells their grandchildren about you."

To Valeria.

"You anchor the rear guard. Ensure no one breaks our formation."

To Lilith.

"You handle coordination. Intelligence. And if there’s an opportunity to sow discord in enemy ranks, you take it."

Finally to Drake.

"You handle field tactics. Work with Adelheid for perfect execution."

He looked at everyone.

"Eighteen percent isn’t zero. And we’ve won with worse odds."

He paused.

"But..."

He pulled something from his pocket.

Aurelia’s card.

Glowing softly with contained power.

"...I keep this. As the absolute last option."

"If we’re losing. If there’s no other way out. If you’re in mortal danger."

"Then I summon. But only then."

Adelheid wanted to protest.

Kaito raised his hand.

"It’s not negotiable. I’m not going to watch any of you die if I can prevent it."

"But I also won’t summon unless it’s absolutely necessary."

He looked around once more.

"Everyone agreed?"

Reluctant nods.

Adelheid eventually nodded too.

"Agreed. But promise me something."

"What?"

"If you decide to summon... talk to us first. All four of us. Together."

"Because if you’re going to sacrifice a part of yourself, we deserve to be there."

Kaito nodded.

"Promise."

He struck the table.

"Then we begin. Five days of preparation. Then we go to war."

"And we show Avernor why Neudämmerung does not kneel."

The meeting dissolved.

Each to their tasks.

But everyone felt it.

This was an all-or-nothing gamble.

And the coming days would decide whether Neudämmerung would survive...

Or fall.

---

After the Meeting — Balcony

Kaito was alone, looking toward where he knew Avernor was approaching.

Adelheid appeared silently.

She stood beside him without speaking at first.

Finally.

"Thank you."

Kaito looked at her. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"For what?"

"For listening to us. For not summoning immediately."

She touched his hand.

"I know it’s hard. I know you want to protect us. But..."

"But my humanity matters too."

"Exactly."

Adelheid squeezed his hand.

"We’re going to win this. Without a fifth summoning. Without sacrificing you further."

"How are you so sure?"

"Because you have us. And we have you."

She smiled: small but genuine.

"And that’s been enough so far."

Kaito pulled her into an embrace.

"I hope you’re right."

"I always am."

They stayed like that as the sun set.

Knowing that in five days everything would change.

For better or for worse.